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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 31, 2023 17:10:50 GMT -5
So as we all that Austin retired in 03 at WM19 and he stayed retired for 19 years until he finally wrestled again at WM38 last year in the main event against Kevin Owens... but what if he continued to wrestle in 03 and onwards? What guys would you wanna see him wrestle?
I would have loved to see Austin wrestle on and off for all those years on a part time schedule... he could have won the World Title a few more times, win another Rumble, headline more WMs etc.
I would have loved to see Austin vs Hogan, Goldberg, Lesnar, Cena, Orton, Batista, HBK again, HHH again, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Sting etc.
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 31, 2023 18:08:02 GMT -5
Would have loved to see Austin be the one to shut Legend Killer Orton's mouth not Hogan. Man I would have adored that.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 31, 2023 18:22:22 GMT -5
Would have loved to see Austin be the one to shut Legend Killer Orton's mouth not Hogan. Man I would have adored that. It would have been a great feud with great matches |
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Aug 31, 2023 18:53:38 GMT -5
TBH by 2008 fans might have started tiring of Austin. The fact that him and Rock's full time careers were less than a decade it left fans craving for more and it made us cherish their years more than others.
I'm a huge fan of the likes of HHH, Orton, Kane, etc but they were around so long it made them stale at times.
However if Austin didn't retire he would've been Raw bound. I couldn't have imagined him ever agreeing to go to Smackdown.
A feud with Evolution would've been a definite and I could also have imagined matches with Goldberg, Orton, Henry & unmasked Kane.
Cena would also have been effected. His move to Raw was the moment he became the face of the company, with Austin around he would either play second fiddle to him or stay on Smackdown.
I could also have imagined Michaels turning heel on him instead of Hogan which would've began a sequel to their 98 feud.
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Post by tmnt316 on Aug 31, 2023 19:01:03 GMT -5
I see him done around 2007 at the latest
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 31, 2023 20:05:06 GMT -5
TBH by 2008 fans might have started tiring of Austin. The fact that him and Rock's full time careers were less than a decade it left fans craving for more and it made us cherish their years more than others. I'm a huge fan of the likes of HHH, Orton, Kane, etc but they were around so long it made them stale at times. However if Austin didn't retire he would've been Raw bound. I couldn't have imagined him ever agreeing to go to Smackdown. A feud with Evolution would've been a definite and I could also have imagined matches with Goldberg, Orton, Henry & unmasked Kane. Cena would also have been effected. His move to Raw was the moment he became the face of the company, with Austin around he would either play second fiddle to him or stay on Smackdown. I could also have imagined Michaels turning heel on him instead of Hogan which would've began a sequel to their 98 feud. If he was gonna be a full time guy then he probably would get a lil stale by 08 but if he was a part time guy then he'd never get stale tbh... I could see em wrestling part time from 03 til 2023 easily while staying on top and over with the fans. I wouldn't have minded another heel run lol. |
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Post by theoutlaw1999 on Aug 31, 2023 20:37:48 GMT -5
TBH by 2008 fans might have started tiring of Austin. The fact that him and Rock's full time careers were less than a decade it left fans craving for more and it made us cherish their years more than others. I'm a huge fan of the likes of HHH, Orton, Kane, etc but they were around so long it made them stale at times. However if Austin didn't retire he would've been Raw bound. I couldn't have imagined him ever agreeing to go to Smackdown. A feud with Evolution would've been a definite and I could also have imagined matches with Goldberg, Orton, Henry & unmasked Kane. Cena would also have been effected. His move to Raw was the moment he became the face of the company, with Austin around he would either play second fiddle to him or stay on Smackdown. I could also have imagined Michaels turning heel on him instead of Hogan which would've began a sequel to their 98 feud. If he was gonna be a full time guy then he probably would get a lil stale by 08 but if he was a part time guy then he'd never get stale tbh... I could see em wrestling part time from 03 til 2023 easily while staying on top and over with the fans. I wouldn't have minded another heel run lol. No doubt a part time Austin could've gone for 20 years. Each time The Rock returned between 01/04 it was fresh and fans were ready. A full time Austin all those years would've been too much. |
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 31, 2023 20:59:23 GMT -5
Would have loved to see Austin be the one to shut Legend Killer Orton's mouth not Hogan. Man I would have adored that. It would have been a great feud with great matches I just picture Orton cutting one of those killer promos he was doing around that time....He's beaten everyone blah blah blah......then the glass breaks. Oh man imagine that pop |
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 31, 2023 21:06:27 GMT -5
If he was gonna be a full time guy then he probably would get a lil stale by 08 but if he was a part time guy then he'd never get stale tbh... I could see em wrestling part time from 03 til 2023 easily while staying on top and over with the fans. I wouldn't have minded another heel run lol. No doubt a part time Austin could've gone for 20 years. Each time The Rock returned between 01/04 it was fresh and fans were ready. A full time Austin all those years would've been too much. Yeah tbh a full time Austin or Rock would have been too much but as part timers they'd never get old. |
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Aug 31, 2023 21:07:27 GMT -5
It would have been a great feud with great matches I just picture Orton cutting one of those killer promos he was doing around that time....He's beaten everyone blah blah blah......then the glass breaks. Oh man imagine that pop It would have been crazy stuff... Austin vs Legend Killer or Viper Orton would have been money. |
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Post by JokerFC on Aug 31, 2023 21:21:57 GMT -5
No doubt a part time Austin could've gone for 20 years. Each time The Rock returned between 01/04 it was fresh and fans were ready. A full time Austin all those years would've been too much. Yeah tbh a full time Austin or Rock would have been too much but as part timers they'd never get old. Agreed. Vince needed to create new stars so using Rock & Austin strategically would have been the way to go. |
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Post by hbkjason on Aug 31, 2023 23:44:09 GMT -5
Austin is one of those guys that I just do not think fans would have tired of. If he was around these days and the way people are, absolutely, but back then I do not see it. He could just continue coming down the aisle, hitting a few punches and kicks and a stunner, pounding down a few beers and fans would have still ate it up for as long as he could have kept on doing it.
Look at when they tried to turn him heel, fans still wanted to cheer him and while HHH was the retunring hero at the 02 Rumble, it was Austin that fans wanted to win. Not everyone, but some folks seem to have forgotten just how over Steve Austin was, there is honestly nothing today that is comparable to who over Austin was.
While I would have loved to have seen him go for a year or two more, I got a huge kick out of his role as a co GM with Eric on RAW.
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Post by TKO Propagandist on Sept 1, 2023 4:42:39 GMT -5
Austin vs Hogan
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TWJT
Superstar
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Post by TWJT on Sept 1, 2023 7:46:05 GMT -5
I think Austin would've put over all the great RA young talents, like Batista, Cena, Orton, and Lesnar. Also think we would've eventually gotten Austin/Hogan and another Austin/Michaels match. Maybe one last Vince/Austin match. I would think he would still have retired by 2012 or so. Maybe at some point he starts to work once a year like Undertaker. Oh yeah, and we would've probably gotten a final Undertaker/Austin match, too.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 1, 2023 14:04:15 GMT -5
Austin is one of those guys that I just do not think fans would have tired of. If he was around these days and the way people are, absolutely, but back then I do not see it. He could just continue coming down the aisle, hitting a few punches and kicks and a stunner, pounding down a few beers and fans would have still ate it up for as long as he could have kept on doing it. Look at when they tried to turn him heel, fans still wanted to cheer him and while HHH was the retunring hero at the 02 Rumble, it was Austin that fans wanted to win. Not everyone, but some folks seem to have forgotten just how over Steve Austin was, there is honestly nothing today that is comparable to who over Austin was. While I would have loved to have seen him go for a year or two more, I got a huge kick out of his role as a co GM with Eric on RAW. I agree that Austin would never get stale and whenever the glass breaks the fans will go crazy and he needs to do is drink beer, hut stunners and a lil trash talking.... but I will say that he most likely would have done a part time run from 03 til probably 2023 or even longer if he really wanted too. If Austin stayed full time forever? I personally would love it and I'll never get bored of it ever hahaa. |
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 1, 2023 14:05:05 GMT -5
Yeah tbh a full time Austin or Rock would have been too much but as part timers they'd never get old. Agreed. Vince needed to create new stars so using Rock & Austin strategically would have been the way to go. Part time or full time... I wouldn't mind either tbh |
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TheXtremisT
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Post by TheXtremisT on Sept 1, 2023 16:15:50 GMT -5
Anything can get stale.
Fans turned on the Rock in his feud with Brock in 2002 BECAUSE he was getting stale, which led to his awesome heel run in 2003.
Austin was already getting stale in 2001, which led to his heel turn and then in 2002 he began becoming stale again around April onwards. I think him stepping away from the company gave a little breathing room actually. There was no way they could have consistently booked him as a top guy for another few years without tweaking his character a little.
Fans would have cheered out of loyalty but he wouldn't have remained the most popular guy forever if he just continued doing the same schtick. All the 1997-1999 booking was golden because of the novelty, but it also burned the writers out because of constantly needing to top their previous efforts and booking the whole show around Austin. That formula would not have continued for another few years if he was to remain the same and in the main event.
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Post by hbkbigdaddycool on Sept 1, 2023 17:28:40 GMT -5
I legit can't imagine Austin being an active wrestler in the WWE past Wrestlemania 19.
The stuff he did with Bischoff as Co-GM's was amazing though. Austin being an onscreen authority figure one way or another was perfect after he "retired" at 19.
I feel like Austin would have had to have changed his persona and character past 2003. Triple H was no longer DX and doing the Evolution thing. Mankind would return but as Mick Foley. Kane lost the mask. Edge was slowly becoming Rated R. Just everything about the 98 - 2002 era of Austin doesn't seem to fit past Wrestlemania 19.
Plus Kurt Angle kind of took over as the bad ass bald headed wrestler who could kick ass and take an ass kicking.
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Post by ASR (therockisback) on Sept 1, 2023 19:01:30 GMT -5
I legit can't imagine Austin being an active wrestler in the WWE past Wrestlemania 19. The stuff he did with Bischoff as Co-GM's was amazing though. Austin being an onscreen authority figure one way or another was perfect after he "retired" at 19. I feel like Austin would have had to have changed his persona and character past 2003. Triple H was no longer DX and doing the Evolution thing. Mankind would return but as Mick Foley. Kane lost the mask. Edge was slowly becoming Rated R. Just everything about the 98 - 2002 era of Austin doesn't seem to fit past Wrestlemania 19. Plus Kurt Angle kind of took over as the bad ass bald headed wrestler who could kick ass and take an ass kicking. I think Austin would have been over no matter what from 03-2023 but he maybe would have to change his persona around a lil bit... he could literally play any role possible and still make it work tbh |
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Post by LA Times on Sept 25, 2023 10:13:19 GMT -5
We wouldve been getting promos designed for the crowd to yell "WHAT?!" on every Raw until he finally retired.
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Hogan VS Flair
